The government has unveiled a roadmap to overhaul antiquated and inadequate conservation laws while stepping up plans to address long-standing problems in the short term.Today Conservation Minister Kiri Allan announced the changes.They included a review of the Wildlife Act, increasing protection of Hauraki Gulf, simplifying the permit and concessions processes, and addressing issues with outdated national park rules."More than 4000 native species are threatened or at risk of extinction. We are at a defining moment for nature, yet much of our legislation is decades old and not fit for purpose," she said.Advertisement: Redcliff Cafe"It is a complex web of nine main pieces of legislation and 15 Acts, developed largely on an ad-hoc basis over a span of nearly 70 years."She hoped a review of the Wildlife Act - which was over 60 years old - would mean it could finally do its job of protecting all endangered species.As an example, she said there were pekapeka - native bats - that needed to be relocated that were in the route of a new motorway."Well DOC as the regulatory entity didn't have the powers to be able to enable relocation through diligent measures.Advertisement: Don McFarlane Ray White Real Estate Te Anau"It could only deal with that particular taonga once it was dead. So we don't have the right regulatory tools that are fit for purpose for what it is that in a contemporary conservation environment."Better laws would equip Aotearoa with the tools to deal with threats to biodiversity including climate change and introduced pests, she said."The Act needs better mechanisms to protect species while at the same time addressing opportunities and challenges for customary rights and recognising mātauranga Māori, rangatiratanga and kaitiakitanga."DOC was looking at the full suite of conservation law and how it currently functioned with plans for a more phased approach and substantial reforms further down the track.Advertisement: Fiordland MarineShe acknowledged that the current system for updating national park rules was not working."In the meantime, we can start making improvements now to help relieve the pressure on DOC's concessions and management planning systems."Tensions are constantly felt around key plans like the Fiordland National Park Management Plan. Part of that tension is because guidance or limits on specific activities like aircraft landings cannot be easily reviewed and updated."Part of what she wanted to see was conservation planning and permitting decisions that would better reflect what local communities want and the latest environmental science, Allan said.Advertisement: Curioscape"The current system isn't fully facilitating the activities we want to enjoy, like mountain biking, or the scientific research we need to address the biodiversity crisis."Alleviating some of those pressures and frustrations by simplifying the processes for concessions and other permits for researchers, tourism operators and other businesses is a much-needed fix."Consultation on some of the proposed changes - including Conservation Management and Processes Amendment Bill - would start next year.Work to improve processes for stewardship land review and reclassification, increase marine protection for the Hauraki Gulf and progress wider marine protection reform, and improve the Trade in Endangered Species Act 1989 were already underway.Advertisement: Bike FiordlandWhile some of the changes were expected to get a green light this election cycle, Kiri Allan said they were also laying the foundations for larger, more sweeping reforms in the future."Today's announcement is a vital step towards addressing ambiguity and deficiencies in current legislation, much of which is older than I am and doesn't reflect the massive shift in how we think, and care, about the environment we all share," she said.Updates including opportunities to engage on the reforms would be added to the Department of Conservation's [www.doc.govt.nz/conservation-law-reform website] regularly.Tess BruntonRepublished by Arrangement

A Queensland couple has taken desperate measures, chartering a plane to get their beloved rescue dog from Christchurch to the Gold Coast.Tash Corbin and her partner David were living and working in Bali six years ago when a tiny sleeping puppy under a scooter stole their hearts.The couple moved to New Zealand two years ago because quarantine restrictions meant it was easier to transport Munchkin from Riverton to the Gold Coast but a pandemic and a lack of flight options, especially for pooches, put paid to that."I came over (to the Gold Coast) in July for a surgery and was due to go back to New Zealand in August," Tash says, "but my recovery hasn't gone to plan and I'm still recovering from that on the Gold Coast."Advertisement: Kennedy Building"My partner David is with Munchkin in Riverton. He is packing up our house furiously because he may need to leave at the drop of a hat and Munchkin is all cleared and ready to go."Munchkin faced problems moving from Bali initially because of a tick borne virus she had come into contact with and medical complications. As a consequence she spent two years in Singapore before being able to move to New Zealand.Tash says at the moment the closure of the trans-Tasman bubble and the lack of flights means it's difficult to get Munchkin on a commercial flight and chartering a plane is looking to be the only option to get her and Tash's partner David to the Gold Coast for Christmas."The pet agencies aren't necessarily taking on clients at the moment, they're telling everyone to wait until the new year. We have found an agency in Christchurch who may be able to help but our odds of getting on a commercial flight are slim to nil, and so we have been trying to arrange a private charter to get her home and find people who would be willing to share the cost."Advertisement: Aparima Restaurant & Bar"If we were able to fly her commercially, it would be $2,500 - $3,000 for her... If we were to hire a private charter a private jet ourselves, it would probably be between $40,000 and $50,000. We've just been trying to work out a good way to make this happen as easily and cost effectively as possible, but because of my situation with recovering from my surgeries and the fact that we've been apart for five months and it's almost Christmas, I really, really want them to come home next week - so we will do whatever it takes."When we first took her in, we didn't look at that little Bali Street dog and say 'oh, you're going to cost us tens of thousands of dollars ... we never planned for it to be this much or this long. But once we had started the process, we felt like we'd come so far and it felt like getting her home was just a little step away and so we just kept following that process and it's now wound up that it's taken us six years for us to finally get her home to Australia."She's amazing, she's magical, she's very, very cuddly. She loves people and there's just something magical about her and we were meant to be together."When you decide to bring someone into your family, you don't leave them behind."Republished by Arrangement

-Haere Mai, TalofaWell, whanau I can’t believe how fast the year has gone.Your children have worked extremely hard during the year and adapted well to the major changes we had to face during the year and particularly in the last couple of months.I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a safe holiday season with family and friends. We had the Services coming to school on Tuesday to talk to the children and do a show and tell.They have kindly provided a sausage sizzle for the whole school for lunch.The children had a fantastic time.Over the past week, we had a few things going on.The Year 6’s also experienced an amazing day out at Real Country.They learnt heaps and were exposed to clay shooting, whipping, changing truck tyres, fastening straps to a trailer, horse leading and enjoyed a lovely BBQ lunch.Thank you to Laura and her team for a great day out.And thanks for the parental support on the day. Swimming came to an end and it is amazing to see the improvements everyone has made over the 2 week period.All the sessions ran like clockwork.Thank you to all the staff that made this possible and the parent help.We presented Lee Morrell with the Sir Peter Blake Young Leadership award for her outstanding leadership and contributions to the school and her peers.Our mini ballplayers will be finishing their games this week and they have done really well.The Year 6 dinner will go ahead as planned at the RSA.Thank you the teachers for planning this evening at the RSA.I would like to thank Whaia Lisa in advance for the catering.I’m sure the Year 6’s and parents will enjoy the meal.I can’t wait to hear the speeches that the children have been working on.Squirt Mania will be another hit with most of the children.Having a water fight.There will be a dunking station for the children to try dunk a teacher or Yr 6 pupils, I’m sure it will bring a smile to all their faces and lots of fun will be had.We will finish the school year with our production.The final day will be on Wednesday, finishing at 12.20 pm.The buses will run in the morning and then after school at 12.20 pm.Kidspace will not be running that afternoon.DatesFeb 8 - School Starts 2022.E noho raRiverton School proudly supported by D T KingsContact the Southland App

The third Revitilize Music Festival kicks starts year 2022 with a line up of performers world famous in Otago and Southland led by one of New Zealand’s top singer/song writers and a multi-instrumentalist Don McGlashan. The 3-day festival, running from Sunday to Tuesday, 2 - 4 January, promises great New Zealand blues, rock, celtic, folk, country and cafe music, and gives aspiring musicians an opportunity to play alongside professionals. In addition there will be plenty of activities to heal and rejuvenate your body and mind, including kundalini, reiki, energy healing, massage, children's and family yoga, yinyan healers, plus much more.Organiser, Tim Gow, opens the gates to his Mangapiri Downs Organic Stud Farm in Blackmount (one of the oldest organic beef and sheep farms in New Zealand) and invites everyone to his Sharing Shed for a smorgasboard of jamming, workshops and health-promoting activities.Mr Gow says that he always wanted to organise a festival, but didn’t get around to it until 2019. He was lucky to get Paul Urbana-Jones as a guest star. Encouraged by the success of this inaugural festival, Mr Gow decided to make it an annual event. Unfortunately, last year heavy rainfall early in January and flooding “put a damper on the festival, but participants found it very comfortable continuing in the Sharing Shed,” he said. Advertisement: Fernhill LimeThe 2022 festival opens on Sunday, 2 January. Gates open at 4pm to give people time to arrive and set up camp. The gate shuts at 5.45pm and music starts at 6pm with open mic for emerging musicians and comedians followed by the star of the nigh, Don McGlashan.Monday, 3 January will start at 9am with grounding, farm talks, workshops, healers, massage and yoga. There will be workshops including a comedy workshop and Brad's guitar tuning workshop 'DADGAD for dummies' and EV displays and demos.The main concert begins at 1pm featuring live music from the Julian Temple Band, Ceol, Brad MacClure, Makin, Café Operana, Beekeeping Pete, Paul Macnicol and David Pickett, Kerstin and Carla Ladstaetter, Jane Maxwell, and comedians Daniel Sewell, Jamie Patterson and Jordan Turner.Tuesday, 4 January will be a relaxed healing and family day with music by Beekeepin’ Pete, Childrens Comedy farm talks and EV displays.Advertisement: Glowing SkyTicket holders can Camp on-site and enjoy the food trucks, family-friendly play areas, walks and animals. There will be an opportunity to learn about the organic and regenerative sabbatical fallowing techniques that Mr Gow has used over the last 33 years.Earlybird Tickets are available until 15 December as follows:Day 1 – Sunday, 2nd January with Don McGlashan. Tickets are $55.  Day 2 – Monday, 3rd January with Julian Temple band and more than 10 other musicians plus 3 comedians and a large range of healers, yoga and workshops. Tickets $65. Day 3 – Tuesday, the 4th of January, music, comedians, healers, wellness and workshops. Tickets $35.  A discounted 3-day pass price is $145.Limited tickets available so buy now to secure entry to your favourite artists.Please note you must be double-vaccinated and present your vaccination pass and an ID to attend the Revitalize Festival.For more information check out the Revitalize Festival website https://revitalize.nz/ 

Invercargill Police Organised Crime Unit and Invercargill Armed Offenders Squad seized a quantity of methamphetamine today (9th Dec) after executing a search warrant at a North Invercargill address.The occupants of the property are now assisting Police with ongoing enquiries.Anyone with information about suspected drug dealing in their community should call 105, or Crime Stoppers anonymously via 0800 555 111.

Cyanide and heavy metals unearthed during Invercargill's Esk Street redevelopment threatens significant disruption and further delays to the inner city upgrade.Work was halted last week after the discovery of an unknown substance amongst archaeological material and excavated soil.Council Group Manager Infrastructure Erin Moogan said the items were tested and early results had identified low levels of cyanide and a mix of heavy metals in the materials.“Work has now been stalled as we undertake further investigations and testing but the community can feel confident that the identified contaminants in Esk St do not pose any risk to public health,” she said.“The level of contaminants is low and we have strict health and safety measures in place. We’re really proud of how quickly and cautiously our teams have acted.Advertisement: McKnight & Brown“Environmental consultants are on site to undertake further testing and examination and we are working through the processes and environmental consent requirements to ensure any contaminated materials are handled in the appropriate manner.”It is likely that this process and subsequent procedural requirements will mean works will be significantly disrupted until some time in January, and that the project and milestone dates may also be extended due to this delay, Ms Moogan said.“In a site such as Esk St, which is a long-established urban roadway, contaminants can sometimes be found in materials previously used to construct roading surfaces, such as coal tar, which was used to provide a hardwearing roading surface before the advent of asphalt.”It is hoped the work will be able to commence as quickly as possible, she said.Advertisement: Bronze ConnectionShoe Clinic owner and chairman of the Neighbourhood Retail Group, Ben Fokkens said it was obviously unfortunate this had popped up but it was something that can't really be planned for.He was hopeful that [construction] could get back on track, maybe with extended hours and weekend work.Getting the road into a usable condition was a priority but he was grateful that H&J Smith had opened their carpark to Esk Street customers.In the meantime he has started offering free home visits and drop offs.McKnight and Brown's Bernie Brown also hoped developers could make up for lost time, saying it would be a huge boost to retailers to have vehicle access back for Christmas 2022.Southland Business Chamber CEO Sheree Carey said development was already on a tight schedule to finish before Christmas next year. She said [the delay] was a real shame but no ones fault.Carey said the chamber was there to support both retailers and the CBD at this time.

Invercargill Police are seeking information about a blue Ford Falcon as part of the investigation into a firearms incident in Winton.A team of investigators are still interviewing witnesses to the incident to piece together what occurred before and after the shooting on Monday.The investigation team is particularly interested in the movements of a navy blue 2002 Ford Falcon sedan which was in the area of Park St and Arthur St at the time of the shooting.The vehicle is described as having shiny mag wheels. Advertisement: Frew EngineeringIt is believed to have travelled to Invercargill after the incident.Anybody with any information or sightings of the vehicle is asked to contact Police on 105, or call Crime Stoppers anonymously, and refer to file 211206/3509.A 19-year-old male has been charged with attempted murder and was remanded in custody following an appearance in Invercargill District Court yesterday.Police are not seeking anyone else in relation to the incident.While the Armed Offenders Squad was attempting to safely locate the offender, cannabis plants were located at a neighbouring property. This cannabis is not related to the victim or the accused.

Invercargill City Council's (ICC) has now extended it's vaccination certificate requirement following an extraordinary Performance, Policy and Partnerships meeting yesterday (7th December).New facilities in the Monday 13th December mandate include, Invercargill's City Libraries and Archives, Splash Palace, He Waka Tuia museum and the ICC council chambers.These facilities join other major city venues that now already require vaccination certificates, including Stadium Southland, Rugby Park and parts of the Civic Theatre .The Civic Administration Building ground floor customer service area, Bluff service centre and library, Bluff Municipal Chambers and Animal Care Facility however remain unaffected, along with all other ICC facilities.Gore District and Southland District facilities continue to retain their existing entry requirements under the Orange alert level.However event organisers using public facilities will need to supply a plan that follows the Government’s event rules at orange, and this may include the use of a My Vaccine Pass before entry.Invercargill City at Level OrangeCivic Administration Building (excluding ground floor customer area) and Council Chambers: Vaccination certificates required, face coverings required, physical distancing guidelines in place, capacity limits, sign-in required.Civic Administration Building (ground floor customer area): Vaccination certificates not required, face coverings required, physical distancing guidelines in place, capacity limits, sign-in required.Bluff Service Centre and Library: Vaccination certificates not required, face coverings required, physical distancing guidelines in place, capacity limits, sign-in required.Invercargill City Libraries and Archives: Vaccination certificates required, face coverings required, physical distancing guidelines in place, capacity limits, sign-in required.Splash Palace: Vaccination certificates required, face coverings required in entry foyer areas, physical distancing guidelines in place, capacity limits, sign-in required, food and beverage restrictions in place.He Waka Tuia: Vaccination certificates required, face coverings required, physical distancing guidelines in place, capacity limits, sign-in required.Civic Theatre (auditorium events/shows): Vaccination certificates required, face coverings encouraged, patrons encouraged to arrive early, sign-in required.Civic Theatre (Victoria and Drawing Rooms): Vaccination certificates not required, face coverings required, physical distancing guidelines in place, capacity limits, sign-in required.Scottish Hall: The Hall is available to both vaccinated and non-vaccinated events. The requirement of vaccination certificates to be determined by venue hire client/event operator. If required, there will be limits on capacity, food and beverage restrictions, and physical distancing requirements. Sign-in required.Rugby Park: Vaccination certificates required, face coverings encouraged, patrons encouraged to arrive early, sign-in required.Council Parks, Reserves and Playgrounds: There are no new requirements following this change to the new COVID-19 Protection Framework. All Parks, Reserves and Playgrounds will follow the SportNZ guidelines.Gore District at Level OrangeGore's District Council will not require customers to show a My Vaccine Pass to use their facilities, including the Gore Aquatic Centre, MLT Event Centre and Gore LibraryHowever wearing a mask, social distancing, scanning in and capacity limits will remain in force.Event organisers using GDC facilities will however need to supply a plan that follows the Government’s event rules at orange which may include using a My Vaccine Pass before entry.Southland District at Level OrangeSouthland District Council will not be mandating vaccine passports at this point in time, but will be continuing to ask people to wear masks, sign in and follow the government's pandemic response advice.Those hiring SDC owned facilities will need to identify whether their event requires the use of the My Vaccine Pass, and it will be the hirer's responsibility to enforce the use of vaccine passes in keeping with government guidelines under the new traffic light system.

Wallacetown School Term 4 2021 Term 4 at Wallacetown school, is a short 9 weeks , and jam packed with many activities.Kiwi Can kicked off here at Wallacetown School, the classes all had their first session with Jess and Nikia.The focus for Term 4 is around Resilience. We welcomed Mitchell and his family to Wallacetown School on the first day of Term 4. There have been quite a few trips/events cancelled or changed due to the Covid Alert Levels, so we adjusted our plans, and still managed to have plenty of activities for the children.Miniball- We had 2 teams - Wallacetown Wizards ( yrs 3 & 4 ) and the Wallacetown Warriors ( yrs 5 & 6 ) who have had such a great time practising at school in breaks, and then working together as a team against other school at Stadium Southland. Wallacetown Warriors after their 12-6 win last night at the Stadium!!Wallacetown Wizards who are looking pretty happy (and tired) after their win at miniball   Blake and Cadan from Ko Taku Reo after theirtree planting effort!Fab work boys!  Truffles— Did you know that Wallacetown School have ‘World famous’ truffles? – well world famous in Wallacetown!!The fundraising group have a tried and tested (secret) recipe and this year … nearly 800 dozen had been ordered and made at the end of October.Lots of people mentioned how good these were and they weren’t joking!A huge thank you to the Fundraising Group and the helpers who put in the hours on to get these made, packaged and out to everyone who had ordered.Thank you to The Grocer Lorneville for the use of the kitchen and the expert skills of Marc and Amy.The funds from this fundraiser are going towards Kiwi Can – a life skills and values programme we have introduced this term.The students love their Monday Kiwi Can session with Jess and Nikia.Lunchtime fun!   Room 2 at Rippa Rugby with Georgia from rugby Southland  Staffing Update—Wallacetown School is in a positive position looking forward for 2022 and with the roll growth we have had this year, we are now in a position that we can have 3 permanent full-time classroom teachers.Following the appointments process, the BOT shared the news that Tracy Pasco has been appointed as a Permanent Classroom Teacher here at Wallacetown School.Tracy will remain in Room 2 going into 2022.Miriam McKenzie also has been appointed as a Permanent Classroom Teacher.Miriam will remain in Room 3 going into 2022.    Room 2: for maths we’ve been look at repeating patterns!We know Algebra is a fancy word for patterns!  Indi, Charlee and Paigan wearing their new Polyfest outfits.   We also welcomed Lara (Room 3) and Jimmy (Room 4) who both started Mid November.   November 11 was “ Pet Day” .Wow what a day, there were some  excellent and well-planned crafts that got made in the morning, which made Annie and Lisa’s job as judges very difficult.The teachers were really impressed at the effort students had put into their Favourite/Pet Profiles and to the masks made as part of the Whānau Challenge.A huge thank you from us for the help and support given at home to get everything in on the day. The Yr 5/6’s headed off to camp 23 November at camp Columba and had a great time!  Adventures include Abseiling, the Flying Fox, the Speed Slide, Bouncy Pillow, Kayaking and A huge thanks to Whaea Nish for her quick organisation in the last holidays when we made the call to cancel the camp to Stewart Island due to the uncertainty around Covid.Natalie is a superstar!Her hair was cut on Friday 26 November and was donated to make wigs.What an amazing gift to give!She was fundraising for the Southland Charity Hospital. Room 2's bean plants have been planted and are curling up the pole towards the Giant's castle in the sky - just like in the story "Jack and the Beanstalk".Lunchtime Fun under the veranda  Wallacetown Board of Trustees and Staff  would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.Have a safe holiday break, and we look forward to seeing you all in 2022!! Wallacetown School kindly supported by Wallacetown Motors Advertise on the Southland App 

Invercargill Hospital has just 17 percent of the midwives it needs, and is an "extreme risk," Southern District Health Board chief executive Chris Fleming says.In a brief report to the board, he outlined a crisis with the DHB's midwifery service.Dunedin Hospital was also in difficulty, with only about half the midwives it needs.Nurses had filled in at both hospitals to help, Fleming said.Advertisement: GWDThe midwives union MERAS had been meeting with the DHB to try to resolve the problem.MERAS co-leader Caroline Conroy said the shortage meant there were not enough midwives rostered on to most shifts.They had been working extra days and long hours to try to give women the care they needed.But it was possible safety could be compromised if they could not be everywhere they were needed at once, she said.Advertisement: East Road Pets"A midwife could easily be in one room caring for another woman when some else needs that care immediately," she said.The midwives were very mindful of that and it created even more stress, Conroy said.More needed to be done to encourage graduate midwives to stay in Otago and Southland, or to encourage others to move.It was difficult in the face of a nationwide shortage, she said.Advertisement: Bombay PalaceFleming said a new director of midwifery had started in October.The midwives' union, MERAS, said the shortage means that on most shifts, there are not enough midwives.The union said the midwifery staff have been working extra days and long hours to try to give women the care they need.But it said safety could be compromised if those staff can't be everywhere they are needed.Republished by Arrangement

The Southern region is now 90% fully vaxxed. Southern District Health Board has today announced it is the fifth DHB to reach the milestone, for the eligible population. The SDHB includes Queenstown Lakes, Southland, Dunedin and everywhere in between.But the news comes of the same day as the Ministry of Health (MoH) identified a Department of Conservation hut in the Fiordland National Park as a high-risk Covid-19 exposure site.Anyone who visited the Green Lake Hut from 7pm, Saturday, 4 December, to 8am Sunday, is being asked to self-isolate.Advertisement: Blue Star TaxisThey should get tested immediately, health officials say, and on day five. They should also record their visit online or call Healthline so contact tracers can get in touch.It appears the exposure relates to a border case currently under investigation in the Southern DHB area."This person returned an initial weak positive test and a second test has returned a negative result," a MoH statement reads."Public health staff are currently awaiting serology results for the person.Advertisement: E Hayes & Sons"Out of an abundance of caution, the Ministry of Health has published one location of interest."The hut is on an advanced tramping trail, offering 12 bunk beds on a first-come, first-served basis."We would like to remind people of the importance of getting a test, especially if you were at or around the location of interest at the time or generally if you have any symptoms, no matter how mild they maybe," health officials say in the statement.There were 98 new community cases in NZ today. Some 66 people are in hospital, including 7 in ICU.Advertisement: Number Works & WordsThe community cases include five new cases Nelson-Tasman. One is announced today, the other four were announced yesterday after the official reporting cut-off period.The new case is linked to a known school exposure event.There are now 20 active cases in the Nelson area, and one recovered."Investigations into the source of infections are ongoing. Public health officials continue to manage several hundred contacts associated with exposures at two schools in Nelson."Advertisement: Thai Thai RestaurantThere are also five active community cases in Canterbury, along with seven who've recovered.The other new cases are in Auckland (74), Waikato (10), Bay of Plenty (8) and Taranaki (1).The total in the number of cases in this Delta variant community outbreak in NZ is 9266, both active and recovered.There were 24,913 total vaccine doses administered yesterday, including 4,571 first doses and 10,652 second doses. To date, 93% of eligible people in New Zealand have had their first dose and 88% are fully vaccinated.Advertisement: SouthtechSouthern DHB COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout Programme Lead Karl Metzler says reaching 90% fully vaccinated is "a major achievement for the programme, providers, communities and the whole district”."Thank you to the people of the district for doing your bit to keep yourselves and your community safe. We also give a huge thanks to our partners, vaccinators and administrators across the southern health system who are crucial in delivering vaccinations to our communities."This includes WellSouth, general practices, community pharmacies, Māori health providers, and public health nursing. The district has around 110 clinics offering the vaccine and regular pop-up clinics have been held over the last couple of months to ensure we are reaching as many people as possible in our widespread district.While the district may be at 90%, there are still pockets with low levels of vaccinations, and it is these communities that are particularly at risk in a local outbreak, Metzler says. These include some of the more rural areas and Māori populations.Southern’s Māori population is currently sitting ahead of national Māori vaccination rates, with 87% with a first dose, and 76% double vaccinated.If it has been six months since your second dose, you are eligible for a booster shot so you stay protected. To avoid queues, people are encouraged to book online at bookmyvaccine or by calling 0800 28 29 26.By Paul TaylorQueenstown App

A Department of Conservation hut in the South Island's Fiordland National Park has been identified as a high-risk Covid-19 exposure site.Anyone who visited Green Lake Hut between 7pm on Saturday and 8am on Sunday is being urged to self-isolate, and test immediately and on day five after they were exposed at this location of interest.They're also being asked to record their visit online or call Healthline so contact tracers can get in touch.The track to Green Lake Hut is an advanced tramping trail with the hut offering 12 bunk beds on a first come, first served basis.Public Health will provide further isolation and testing requirements.More to come...Republished by Arrangement

Southlander Melissa Vining has once again been named as a semi-finalist in the Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year awards.Vining was also a semi-finalist at last years event, with the 2021 award subsequently being presented to Dr Siouxsie Wiles.Well known to Southlanders, Vining and her late husband Blair were leading advocates behind a campaign to improve cancer treatment in New Zealand, which ultimately lead to the establishment of Te Aho o Te Kahu, the New Zealand Cancer Control Agency.Honouring her husband's dying wish, Vining and the Southland community established the Southland Charity Hospital Trust, whose aim is to build a community hospital that would offer free health care services to the people of Otago and Southland, starting with colonoscopies and dental care.Advertisement: Southland KiaFundraising to date has among other things seen thousands of bricks being bought by members of the public.The Southland Charity Hospital is scheduled to open mid 2022, but has already started operating a day clinic for colonoscopies.Other semi-finalists in this years awards include entertainer Hinewehi Mohi, nursing educator Judith Anne Kilpatrick, Olympic athletic Valerie Adams, Professor Michael Baker, Minister of Conservation Hon. Kiri Allan, Judge Andrew Becroft, Olymic kayaker Lisa Carrington, health advocate Lyall Thurston and Ngai Tahu's Ta Tipene O'Regan.Previous winners include Dr Siouxsie Wiles (2021), Jennifer (Te Atamira) Ward-Lealand (2020), Mike King (2019), Kristine Bartlett (2018), Taika Waititi (2017), Richie McCaw (2016), Sir Stephen Tindall (2015), Dr Lance O’Sullivan (2014), Dame Anne Salmond (2013), Sir Richard Taylor (2012), Sir Paul Callaghan (2011) and Sir Ray Avery (2010).

Te Anau pilot, Adam Butcher is the new South Island Sportsman Aerobatic Champion, after his win at the South Island Akrofest 2021 held at Ashburton Airport last weekend.Thirteen competitors, including one woman pilot (Sarah Ross), participated in the Championships in five classes: Vintage, Recreational, Sportsmen, Intermediate and Unlimited.Mr Butcher, who came second in the Sportsmen category last year, has nailed it this time and won with a score of 82.9%. The challenge in his category was being able to manoeuvre inside an imaginary box within an upper, lower, left and right limit, drawing a perfect vertical circle with the aircraft. His victory was a fitting birthday present for Mr Butcher who turned 40 on Sunday.Asked how he feels about his success, Mr Butcher said he feels “chuffed” and that he’s been smiling ever since.Advertisement: Thai Anau“I got some tips from my friend, fellow pilot and mentor Ivan Krippner, which proved to be very useful,” he said.Mr Butcher flew into Ashburton in formation with Ivan Krippner of Te Anau and John Lamont of Wanaka. The flight from Te Anau to Ashburton took him just over 2 hrs in his Pitts Special aircraft. Mr Lamont was also competing in the Sportsmen class, while Mr Krippner was one of the judges of the event.As a young boy Adam used to dream of flying. At 9 he was making model aeroplanes and at 13 began building radio-controlled planes. A year later he started to learn to fly through an aero club in Masterton and when he was 16 he flew solo for the first time. At 22 he took a year to get a Private Pilot’s Licence at the Central Hawkes Bay aero club in Waipukurau.  Mr Butcher came to Te Anau in 2013 to conduct a feasibility study for commercial flights in a DC3 aircraft for a local entrepreneur, Mark Oremland. While planning for the DC3 operation, he worked for one season as a pilot for scenic flights in the Fiordland National Park in the Domine. Advertisement: Sandfly CafeThe following season he piloted scenic flights in the Te Anau float plane, and subsequently became involved with the Faith in Fiordland enterprise.In 2017 he won a scholarship to train as a pilot of vintage aircraft for the Warbirds Over Wanaka (WOW) International Airshow.In December 2017 he completed a rating on a WW2 training aircraft, the Harvard, under the WOW scholarship, and in 2018 he was one of the pilots in this iconic event.Mr Butcher said he was inspired by the founder of the WOW, Tim Wallace and by his instructor John Lamont.

A person has been arrested following a firearms incident in Winton today.Police were called to a Park Street address at around 1pm where it was reported that a firearm had been discharged.A man with gunshot wounds was subsequently transported to hospital in a serious but stable condition.Police along with the armed offenders squad attended, cordons were put in place and nearby schools were put into lockdown temporarily as a precaution.Advertisement: SouthtechA 19-year-old man was later located in Invercargill and arrested.Police are not seeking anyone else in relation to the incident.Inquiries are however ongoing and anyone with information that may assist Police is urged to contact them on 105, quoting event number P048860990, or call anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

Police can now name the person who died following a serious crash in Wyndham on Friday (3rd December).He was 33-year-old Haimana Nessie Scouller of Tokanui.Police are making further inquiries and are appealing for any witnesses who may have seen a dark-coloured Mazda ute travelling Wyndham Road or near Mataura at around 11pm on Friday.If you have witnessed anything please contact Police on 105 and quote the file number 211204/5529.

There was action aplenty at Teretonga over the weekend.Saturday started with Steve Ross of Dunedin in his Jaguar TraNZam XK winning both the OSCA Super Saloons races. In the first he passed early leader Paul Brooks of Ohoka in a Nissan 200SX S15 to win with Michael Gallagher of Ashburton in a Mazda RX7 third while in the second he came from the back of a reverse split grid to claim his second win of the day.This was followed by the South Island F1600 with saw Louis Sharp of Christchurch in a Spectrum 015 taking the victory from the experienced Matthew Hamilton of Christchurch in a Van Diemen RF88. Invercargill driver Alex Crosbie put in a fine performance to mix it with the leaders to eventually finish third in his Ray GR21 ahead of Zac Christensen of Rolleston in a Ray GR20.Jordan Michels of Invercargill won the Noel McIntyre Drainage Club Saloons race after beating fastest qualifier Liam MacDonald off the line and leading all the way. Brian Scott of Dunedin in a Porsche 997 was second and Rachael Beck of Invercargill third in her new Ford Mustang after MacDonald limped home with a flat tyre.Advertisement: Riverside RentalsCorey Ross of Rolleston won today’s Pre 65 Saloon race in his Ford Mustang ahead of Wayne Patrick (Christchurch) in a Ford XP Falcon and Piers Mingham of Ashburton in a Ford Anglia while in the Mini 7 South race Peter Scobie of Dunedin, Justin Neill of Christchurch and Kaiapoi driver Bailey Paterson crossed the line virtually side by side.Warren Reynolds of Christchurch (Honda Integra) just pipped Greg Mitchell of Darfield in a BMW Alpina 88 by 0.006 seconds after a great race long battle in the 2K Teretonga Challenge with Corey Ashworth of Ashburton third in a Toyota Celica.Scott O’Donnell of Invercargill in a Ford Capri held off the field in an exciting Historic & Classic Pre 78 Saloon race after fastest qualifier Rodger Cunninghame did not start. Nick Cross of Queenstown was second in his Alfa Romeo GTV and Leon Hallett of Mosgiel third in his Ford Galaxie. Mark McGuinness of Wellington spun out of the lead group in spectacular fashion in his Alfa Romeo GTV.Bradley Dawson won the PRO 7 & 8 Class race from Sam Wallace of Christchurch with Kris Mackie third while Eddie Iraia of Timaru in his Honda Civic EF9 held Dawson off when he later drove his Mazda RX 8 in the SS Cup race with Gerald Hargreaves of Temuka third in his Toyota Altezza. Cody Welch of Omakau won the NZ6 Saloon race in his Falcon from David Worgan of Ashburton. Steve Ross of Dunedin in his Jaguar TraNZam XK on his way to the top step of the podium in the OSCA Super Saloons in Sunday’s wet race. Photo: Ron Veint  Sunday dawned wet and when the oil was spilt early on Sunday afternoon the day ended a little earlier than scheduled.Up until that stage there had been some great racing with Sunday’s races punctuated by several Safety Car interventions due to incidents.Steve Ross of Dunedin in his Jaguar TraNZam XK took the top step of the OSCA Super Saloons podium after winning both of Saturday’s races before finishing second to Paul Brooks of Ohoka in his Nissan 200SX S15 in the rain on Sunday morning. Brooks was second overall for the round after earlier securing a second and third while Ashburton driver Michael Gallagher was third.Southlanders were to the fore in several classes with Jordan Michels taking a clean sweep in the Noel McIntyre Drainage Club Saloons at the wheel of his Ford Focus V8 to podium ahead of Brian Scott of Dunedin (Porsche 997) and Dan Barlow of Queenstown in a Ford Capri. Liam MacDonald suffered a puncture in Saturday’s race which cost him dearly in the points.Advertisement: Te Anau Panelbeaters Bradley Dawson of Invercargill took the top step of the podium in the Pro 7/8 Class after a clean sweep on debut in the class. Kris Mackie of Christchurch was runner-up with two seconds and a third with Sam Wallace of Christchurch third overall.The South Island F1600 field only had one race but it featured a colossal battle which went the way of Louis Sharp of Christchurch in a Spectrum 015 from the experienced Matthew Hamilton of Christchurch in a Van Diemen RF88. Invercargill driver Alex Crosbie put in a fine performance to mix it with the leaders to eventually finish third in his Ray GR21 ahead of Zac Christensen of Rolleston in a Ray GR20.Invercargill drivers Scott O’Donnell and Murray Kelman shared the Historic & Classic Pre 78 Saloon race wins but at the end of the weekend Mark McGuinness of Wellington (Alfa Romeo GTV) stood atop the podium ahead of Leon Hallett of Mosgiel (Ford Galaxie) and Nick Cross of Queenstown in another Alfa.Corey Ross of Rolleston in a Ford Mustang made a clean sweep of the three Pre 65 Saloon races to take the round win from Wayne Patrick of Christchurch, (Ford XP Falcon) and Piers Mingham of Ashburton (Anglia).Advertisement: Southern IsuzuCorey Ashworth of Ashburton won the 2K Teretonga Challenge in his Toyota Celica from Warren Reynolds and Greg Mitchell while Eddie Iraia of Timaru took the SS Cup honours in his Honda Civic EF9 from Bradley Dawson (RX8) and Jordan Rae of Temuka (Honda Civic).Mini 7 South produced close racing, particularly in the dry, with Justin Neill of Christchurch prevailing from Rolleston driver Justin Ashwell and Paul Bennison of Christchurch.Omakau drivers Cody Welch, with two, and Tony Herbert (one) shared the NZ Six Saloon race wins.

Two Southland women were amongst the winners of NZI Rural Women NZ Business Awards 2021, announced on Friday, 26 November at a gala event in Queenstown.The awards celebrate the innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurial excellence of New Zealand's rural communities.Tammy Taylor’s Fork and Spade Lumsden based business was a winner in the Emerging Business category sponsored by the Ministry for Women, while Harriet Bremner of Te Anau won the Rural Champion category, sponsored by Jarden Partners Ltd, with her children’s books publishing company Gurt & Pops Ltd.Advertisement: CanvartFork and Spade supplies and implements environmental planting plans for farms in Southland. The northern Southland business now has a dedicated client base throughout the region. Tammy and her all women team are passionate about seeing their jobs through from the initial farm consult to an established, thriving and well-maintained planting. Building strong relationships and great communication skills are two of Tammy’s strengths and these have served her well in developing her customer base and in her dedication to her team. Success for Tammy is a happy team and the next step for Fork and Spade is continuing to upskill her team members through qualifications and opportunities to step-up within the business.“I was truly honoured and thankful to my team to get us here when we knew there was so many talented entries this year,” Ms Taylor said.“The awards ceremony made us feel welcomed and supported. We were so spoilt with a beautiful setting and venue. The team at rural woman pulled it together seamlessly even with having never ending covid curve balls.”Harriet Bremner of Te Anau with the award trophy and her miniature dachshund, Poppy, the inspiration for her books. Photo suppliedAnother Southland champion, Harriet Bremner, writes children’s books for New Zealand’s rural families, which she publishes by her own publishing company, Gurt & Pops Ltd. Harriet’s life was transformed after the tragedy of losing her partner in a farming accident. She decided to follow her dreams of becoming an author and wrote her first book called “Bob ‘n’ Pops” in memory of her late partner. Concerned that health and safety messages were not being heard, she produced two further books.  “The award is a momentous realisation for myself and my business of how far I have come on a journey that has been filled with grief, love, grit, trauma and passion. I have been so determined to make the most of my life and I am so humbled to be acknowledged for the work that I have been doing,” Ms Bremner said.She said she has loved writing since childhood, but was always terrified of failing, so never made the leap to writing a book until she has lost her partner and realised how quickly life can be taken from us. “I am determined to see a change in our behaviours when it comes to health, safety and well-being as we are losing too many people to avoidable farm accidents. To be able to win such an incredible award is an extremely special and unforgettable part of my journey and I thank all those who have supported me along the way as it is a dream come true,” she concluded. Advertisement: Paper Plus Te AnauAsked about her impressions from the NZRW Awards ceremony, she said “It was an honour to be standing alongside the other incredibly talented award winners last week, each and every one of them blew me away with what they have worked so hard for and what they have produced. It’s also a recognition of the massive role that women play in our rural communities and how resourceful they can be setting up businesses from home, sometimes in very isolated places.”Gill Naylor, National President, Chief Executive Officer and International Portfolio Convenor for Rural Women New Zealand commented on the reasons why Harriet and Tammy were selected for their respective awards.“With regards to Harriet, and her business Gurt and Pops, we were really impressed with her passion and drive to change the culture around safety on farm and wellbeing in rural New Zealand. Her children’s books provide innovative, useful resources for both children and adults on both safety and mental wellbeing and resilience.  With Tammy and Fork and Spade, the development of her business, the quality service that she provides, including the ongoing support that she offers her clients, and her ‘success means a happy team’ workplace culture, were some of the attributes that made her stand out to the judging panel.” 

Government officials are confident Tiwai Point aluminium smelter will not close if aluminium prices remain high.But they warn there are risks this will add millions of tonnes to greenhouse gas emissions.Southland has been gearing up to cope with losing hundreds of jobs and lots of spending when the smelter shuts at the end of 2024.However, Treasury documents released under the Official Information Act (OIA) estimate strong aluminium prices left the smelter half a billion dollars better off last year.Advertisement: Jumper Co"While NZAS' electricity supply contract with Meridian ends in December 2024, in conjunction with its announced closure, we assess that there is a good prospect that the smelter will continue to operate beyond that date if the outlook for the aluminium market remains sufficiently positive," an update to ministers said.Meridian Energy said its "planning and forecasts assume" a December 2024 closure.Cheap power deals for Tiwai have been a political hot potato for years.The update said the Climate Change Commission had identified risks from New Zealand Aluminium Smelters (NZAS) keeping going.Advertisement: First in WindsorIt calculated this could add 12 million tonnes of CO2 emissions from next year until 2035, well above the commission's "projected transition pathway"."This is because smelter closure assumes that more emissions-intensive electricity production will be taken offline due to Manapouri's surplus supply entering the grid."A key commission recommendation is the country "decarbonise" the energy system, including by favouring electricity that has a low emissions impact.Several businesses and iwi are exploring if Tiwai Point can be used for green hydrogen production.Advertisement: D T KingsThese transitions are part of plans the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment was meant to release in October, but its 'Just Transitions' report had been delayed now until next year, the ministry told RNZ.The company and its majority owner Rio Tinto have been embroiled in fraught and now-stalled negotiations for over a year with the government about cleaning up the smelter.The OIA documents show the company told Crown negotiators it had about $47m in an Environmental Restoration Account with Inland Revenue. It has also made provision for almost $300m of remediation costs.NZAS has a power agreement which expires in December 2024, a NZAS spokeperson said in a statement."Rio Tinto remains committed to remediating the site and can confirm NZAS has deposited funds into an environmental restoration account under the Income Tax Act and has provisions for closure costs in its accounts," the statement said.Republished by Arrangement